Bipartisan Senatorial Effort Seeks Cap and Trade for non-CO2 Emissions

Home » Bipartisan Senatorial Effort Seeks Cap and Trade for non-CO2 Emissions

February 5, 2010

A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation that would limit emissions of sulfur dioxide, mercury and nitrogen oxide, but not carbon dioxide.

The bill also would set up a cap and trade system for permits for those gases, reports Reuters.

The legislation would apply to power plants and other large emissions sources. It would cut mercury emissions from coal-fired plants 90 percent by 2015, sulfur dioxide 80 percent by 2018 and nitrogen dioxide 53 percent by 2015, reports AFP.

Thomas Carper (D-Del.) introduced the legislation, which was cosponsored by Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Carper said that legal challenges have prevented the Environmental Protection Agency from effectively regulating sulfur dioxide, mercury and nitrogen oxide.

His bill would expand the Clean Air Act to mandate reductions of those gases, which cause smog and acid rain.

Alexander opposes CO2 emissions capping, but said that the other gases should be regulated, reports the Tennessean.

Renewable energy advocates criticize the new bill as leaving out the “elephant in the room” that is CO2 emissions.

Reader Comments

Umm, sulfur dioxide, mercury, and nitrogen oxide aren’t greenhouse gases (unless you’re talking specifically about dinitrogen oxide). That’s a misleading headline. They certainly cause smog and acid rain and are good to regulate, but you aren’t talking about methane, N2O, HFCs, PFCs, or SF6 here.

Whit | February 5th, 2010

Thanks for correcting the headline.

Whit | February 5th, 2010

Thanks for the note, Whit.

Environmental Leader | February 5th, 2010

Finally some enlightened ideas out of Congress!

Mauibrad | February 8th, 2010